John,
Do not despair, my fellow Topband Aficionado!
I also live on a 1/4 lot in a residential subdivision in San Jose - part of the
Black Hole of the 160 meter world. I don't have the luxury of living on or near
the East Coast where working Europe (with lots of DXCC entities) is the same
"chip shot" working JA is for us on the West Coast....
If conditions allow, put up a ground mounted vertical of at least 60 feet, and
either top load it if you have room or base load it with a large coil made of
1/4" copper tubing about 6-8" in diameter. First try your existing radial
field and see how it works. Collect some data. Then you might try raising the
bottom of the vertical about 3' and insulate the bottom. Use at least 8 or
preferably 12 resonant elevated radials. My vertical is 60' base loaded affair
mounted right next to my house, on a 3' high 3" PVC pipe, and the 8 radials
slope up at a 45 degree angle to the roof and then in all kinds of asymmetrical
directions. The pattern is distorted by the radial field, but the antenna
still works fairly well. I am a little gun, but with 1.5 KW, I have managed to
work 133 countries and am having the time of my life. If my situation allowed,
I would change to top loading in a heartbeat. If you want to call me to
discuss details I will be very pleased to pass on what litt
le I have learned about Topband life from a small city lot.
You CAN have success, but you need a more efficient antenna.....
73,
Bob/AA6VB
HI all, I have had a rocky relationship with TOPBAND that has never really
blossomed. My QTH is small about 1/4 acres. Only two tree's and NO towers
allow. Now that has not stopped me. I have WAS on 160m (took 10+ years) and
a splattering of countries. But I will go on to my problem. I am just NOT
heard. I can hear great with my selection of antennas (resonant on 160m I have
a inductively loaded INV L vert about 40ft 20ft horiz (home brew by the insane
mind that is my own with 4 elevated radials also loaded like the radiating
element) A Cushcraft ma160v with about 40 radials on the groud. A Alpha delta
dxa with about 50 radials on the ground. These radials are all random ranging
from 1/16 to 1/4 wave. ) The verticals make great contest antenna for
stateside as the cushcraft is resonant from about 1.800 to 1.825 and the Inv L
flat from 1.820 to about 1.850.
This all aside I can hear like I'm running a receiving loop or even a small
beverage (had a nice one at an old qth back in the 90's) but I cant seem to be
heard. I can put 1kw++ into these antennas but still no luck most of the time.
For example I have been calling the HK0NA tonight on 1.833/4 he is s9+ on
1000d and I am not even getting a ??
Other than the WARC band and my eternal quest for a bigger signal on 20/30/40m
I am happy with my antennas. Though I admit I am always experimenting and have
a separate operating position just for experiments and the rare guest op.
Well if I'm just crazy then so be it. I've been banging my head on this
problem.
Any suggestions would be welcome. I an willing to direct email larger
descriptions and even pictures of what I am working with...
Caveats: I wasn't born yesterday, But, I do believe in magic. sooo Other than
buying out all my neighbors and putting up some big antennas lets try and be
constructive.. (that is unless ya wanta give me themoney to buy out my
neighbors 8) )
de John ko1h
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UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
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UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
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